Combination salt drier and night light



Oct. 24, 1961 w. F. THOMPSON 3,005,904

COMBINATION SALT DRIER AND NIGHT LIGHT Filed July 15, 1960 (p \5 4% 3 \e 16 u INVENTOR. WILLIAM ETHOMPSON United States Patent O 3,005,904 COMBINATION SALT DRIER AND NIGHT LIGHT William F. Thompson, 173 E. 9th St., Hialeah, Fla. Filed July 15,1960, Ser. No. 43,183 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-2) Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination salt drier and night light described as above which is simple in construction,economical in cost of'manufactureand in its operation yet most effective to maintain salt dry within a dispenser at all times as well as be useful as a night light when so desired.

A still another object of the present invention is to provide a combination salt drier and night light which permits the blocking off of the light Without the necessity of turning off the lamp which also provides the heat for maintaining the salt dry whereby the dry condition of the salt is assured at all times.

A still another object of the present invention is to provide a combination salt drier and night light device which is readily di sassemb led for cleaning purposes and which may be as readily assembled;

With these and other objects in View, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a combination salt drier and night light constructed in accordance with my invention. 7

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken at approximately the mid-position of the device.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 refers generally to my combination salt drier and night light consisting of a substantially rectangular device having a bottom wall 11, front wall 12, a rear wall 112 and end walls 13 with a removable cover 14 mounted thereon. The bottom wall 11 is provided with a depending skirt 15 about its periphery for elevating the bottom wall 11 topermit the circulation of air therethrough. For this purpose a plurality of openings 16 and 17 are formed on a portion of the skirt 15 and the bottom wall 11 respectively. The rear wall 112 extends upwardly as at 30 above the level of the cover 14 and is provided with a pair of bores 31 for suspending the device 10 on a wall.

On one of the end walls 13 there is mounted an electrical switch 18 accessible to the outside of the device 10 for turning the current on and oif. On the other end wall 13 there is an opening 19 on the lower half thereof in which there is mounted a pane of glass or section of transparent plastic 20. In the upper portion of this end wall 13, there is formed a vertically disposed slot 21 in which a finger piece 22 is slidably mounted and accessible "ice to the outside of the device'10 for manipulation thereof. On the inner end of the finger piece 22 there is secured a shutter plate 23 which is of sufiicient size to completely cover the glass pane 20 when the finger piece 22 has been forced to slide to the lower portion of the slot 21.

Means are provided for dividing the device 10 into four compartments comprising a pair of opposed slots 24 extending the full height of the walls 12 for receiving vertical panels or partitions 25 and 26. Also on the inner surface of. the end walls 13, at approximately the height of the partition 25 is a pair of opposed slots 27 extending the width of the'walls 13. Extending horizontally is. a partition 28 with its ends received by the slots 27. The horizontal partition 28 rests on the top of the vertical partition 25 and in cooperation with the partition 26 and cover 14 divides the device 10 into four compartments 32, 33, 34 and 35.

The partition 25 is provided with a relatively large opening 36 in which is mounted lamp or bulb socket 37 so disposed that a lamp 38 threaded in the socket 37 is positioned within the compartment 33. The heat generated by the lamp 38 will flow upwardly through openings 39 in the partition 28 and into the compartment 35. The openings 16 permit the flow of outside air into the compartment 33 to replace the heated air that flowed up into the compartment 35. I

The compartment 32 houses the electrical wiring which consists of an electric wire 40 connecting the switch 18 and the light socket'37, and the wires 41 and 42 connecting the switch 18 and the socket 37 to the male plug 43. The wires 41 andr 42 extendthrough an opening in the end wall 13 where they extend for a desired distance and the ends thereof connected to the plug 43. The plug 43, of course is insertable into a wall plug (not shown) where a source of electric energy is available for energizing the electric lamp 38.

The cover 14 which rests on the top of the end walls 13, the front wall 12 and partition 26 also rest on a shoulder 45 formed at the juncture of the rear wall 112 and the bracket wall 30. A pair of relatively large openings 46 and 47 in the cover 14 permit the receiving of salt and pepper shakers or containers 49 and 50 therein with the shakers 49 and 50 resting on the partition 28 and their upper portion exposed and extending above the cover 14. Means are provided for maintaining the cover securely in position comprising L-shaped resilient members 50 secured to the lower surface of the cover 14 and having a finger portion bearing resiliently against the inner surface of both of the end walls 13.

In accordance with the above description of my combination salt drier and night light device 10, upon connecting the plug 43 to a source of electricity (not shown) and actuating the switch 18, the lamp 38 will be energized and produce both light and heat. The heat will percolate upwardly in the compartment 33 and flow through the bores 39 into the compartment 35 where the salt shaker 48 will become warmed and the salt contained therein will become dehumidified. The openings 16 in the skirt 15 and the openings 17 will permit air from the atmosphere to enter into the compartment 33 to replace the heated air that flowed from the compartment 33 into the compartment 35. At the same time the salt in the salt shaker 48 is being dehydrated and maintained in a dry condition notwithstanding the humid climatic conditions that may exist. In the event, it is not desired to use the night light effect thereof, all that need be done is press downwardly on the finger piece 22 and compel it along with the shutter panel 23 to slide downwardly until the shutter panel 23 blocks olf completely the glass pane 20 so that the light emanating from the lamp 38 cannot pass through the glass pane 20. Also, if it is desired to place a second salt shaker in the device 10 in the place of the pepper shaker 49, the pepper shaker 49 is lifted out of and removed from the device 10. The cover 14 is grasped at the opening 47 and forced upwardly to release the frictionally engaged members 50 from the end walls 13. Then the partition 26 is slid upwardly'in the slots 24 and removed therefrom. The cover 14 is replaced on the device and a salt shaker similar to the salt shaker 48 is placed in the opening 47 and made to rest on the partition 28. Now heat that enters the compartment 35 will flow into the compartment 34 to dehydrate the salt in that salt shaker.

My combination salt drier and night light device '10 may be constructed of any suitable material such as plastic, metal or wood. However, it would appear that the body portion and partitions are preferably made of molded plastic which would permit the device to be made attractively and kept in a clean and sanitary condition. When it is necessary to clean the device 10, the shakers 48 and 49 are first removed, then the cover 14 islifted from its normal position. The partition 26 is slid upwardly, then the horizontal partition 28 is flexed slightly to permit one end to leave the slot 27 thereby allowing the partition 28 to be removed, after which the partition 25 is lifted out of the device 10. After being cleaned the various parts'are replaced in the device 10 in the reverse order named in the dismantling of same.

What I claim as newiand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A combination salt dried and night light comprising a receptacle, a front and rear wall, end walls attached to said front and rear wall and a bottom wall joining said firstnamed walls, said front and rear Wall having opposed slots disposed vertically on the inside surfaces thereof at substantially the mid-portion, a partition slidably mounted in said slots extending vertically substantially to the mid-portion of said receptacle, said partition having an opening, a light socket mounted in said opening, a lamp mounted in said socket and extending in the direction of one of said end walls, a switch mounted on the other of said end walls, electric wiring connecting said socket and said switch, further wiring connecting said switch and said socket extending through a bore in said other of said end walls for connecting to a source of electricity, a large opening in said one of said end walls, said large opening extending from said bottom wall to substantially the mid-portion of said receptacle, a transparent member placed in said large opening, a shutter slidably mounted on said one of said end walls above said transparent member whereby upon sliding said shutter downwardly said shutter will block off said transparent member, said end walls having opposed horizontally disposed slots at substantially the mid-portion of their inside surfaces, a horizontally disposed partition removably mounted on said receptacle having its end portions received by said horizontally disposed slots, a further vertically disposed partition slidably mounted in said slots in said front and rear walls and resting on said horizontally disposed pantition, a cover removably mounted on said receptacle, said cover having an opening in said cover positioned on each side of said further portion, a salt dispenser placed in one of said openings in said cover adjacent said one of said end walls and said bottom wall and said horizontally disposed partition having openings in proximity to said one of said end walls whereby heat generated by said lamp will flow upwardly through said openings in said horizontally disposed partition to heat said salt dispenser and dehydrate the salt contained therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,413,176 Deaton Dec. 24, 1946 2,527,101 Maddox Oct. 24, 1950 2,604,573 Raines et al July 22, 1952 2,644,072 Aruth June 30, 1953 2,760,049 Harper Aug. 21, 1956 

